Richardson touts geopolitics resumé to Arab-Americans
Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Richardson told Arab-Americans yesterday that he has the diplomatic experience to work for peace in the Middle East.
The New Mexico governor and former United Nations ambassador said "solutions imposed from outside almost always fail." He added that he would talk with Iranian, Syrian, and Iraqi leaders to try to stabilize the region.
"Have faith in this country. We're a good country," Richardson said at the Arab American Institute's National Leadership Conference in Dearborn, Mich. The Detroit suburb anchors a community of about 300,000 people in southeastern Michigan who trace their roots to the Middle East.
Richardson, who routinely touts his foreign policy experience, criticized Democratic opponents who have said they want to end the war but would leave behind some troops. "The American presence is not aiding the cause of peace," he said, adding that ending the Iraq war is "the most important issue of our time."
He also said the United States must stop "the hard words, name-calling, and threats" against Iran and instead talk with its leaders, "no matter how objectionable its governing elites may be." (AP)
Not ready to quit yet
Chris Dodd may be trailing in the polls, but he insists he shouldn't be counted out just yet.
The Democratic presidential hopeful appeared yesterday on NBC's "Meet the Press" and was presented with poll results showing him last in the eight-person field, with zero support. The most recent AP-Ipsos polls showed Dodd at 1 percent.
"Well, we've got a lot of room to grow here, as we say," Dodd said. Then, turning serious, the Connecticut senator said that John Kerry trailed Howard Dean at this stage of the Democratic race in 2003, but came back to win the Iowa caucuses and the nomination.
Dodd said that most Iowa voters are undecided and that history has shown that rarely has the person in the lead at this stage prevailed in the caucuses and primaries. He said someone in the second tier will be the viable candidate in January or February. (AP)
Standing their ground
Florida Democrats attending their state party convention this weekend reaffirmed plans to move their presidential primary date to Jan. 29.
The GOP-dominated Legislature and Governor Charlie Crist, a Republican, enacted a law last spring setting the January primary date.
After considering holding caucuses after Feb. 5 to meet national party rules, the state party decided to stick with the early primary so as many people as possible can participate.
The Democratic National Committee responded to the state's action by voting to strip Florida of all its delegates. Candidates were pushed by party leaders in the DNC-approved early voting states to sign a pledge not to campaign in Florida unless the state complied with DNC rules.
But at this weekend's convention, the Florida Democratic Party chairman, Karen Thurman, took the stage to applause and sang along with a recording of Tom Petty: "I will stand my ground, and I won't back down." (AP)
Taking aim at drug ads
Democratic candidate John Edwards wants drug companies to wait two years to begin advertising their new products.
At a gathering of voters in Laconia, N.H., yesterday, Edwards outlined a plan to regulate what he views as misleading drug advertisments. He said that annual spending on these types of ads has nearly quadrupled to $4 billion in the decade since the government relaxed rules on advertising directly to consumers. He said a two-year delay would hold down costs and prevent ads from driving consumers to drugs that have not been proven safe. He also would require companies to get federal approval before launching ad campaigns.
Top companies spend twice as much on marketing and administration as they do on research and development, Edwards said.
"Basically," Edwards said, "they do what they want, and they're driving up demand for the most expensive and most profitable drugs." (AP) 